HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

With such power... he's fully qualified to become the third Dark Lord. Yet Sargeras chose to return to Hogwarts as a professor?

Snape's gaze swept over the enthusiastic young wizards below the stage, and a vague guess gradually took shape—was he planning to start here, cultivate a group of followers, and then slowly seize power in the wizarding world?

Or is there something hidden in this ancient school with a history of over a thousand years that he is after?

……

On the other side of the stage, Lockhart was "unconscious" in an exaggerated pose. If it weren't for the occasional twitching of his eyelids, his deathly pale face would truly resemble that of a corpse.

Sagres casually cast a detection spell, then raised an eyebrow at the female school doctor on the sidelines: "Ms. Pomfrey, it seems we need some special energizer."

The school nurse winked knowingly and pulled a bottle of medicine bubbling with strange green bubbles from deep inside her medicine box.

As the pungent smell of rotten eggs filled the air, Lockhart, who was in a "coma," immediately began to cough violently.

Finally, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was taken aside for treatment, and Snape returned to his professor's seat to rest.

Sagrass, still standing on the stage, nodded to the eager young wizards and announced, "The demonstration is over. The practical session begins."

The young wizards cheered, and the hall erupted in excitement. After watching for so long, they could finally try it out for themselves.

Sagrass tapped his palm lightly with his wand, watching the cheering young wizards below with a half-smile.

"First of all, I must warn you, anyone who turns a duel into a street brawl..."

Sparks suddenly flew from the tip of his cane, and the noisy auditorium fell silent instantly.

He didn't say what the consequences would be, but everyone knew that the outcome of doing that would certainly not be pleasant.

Then he drew several trajectories in the air with his wand, and the floor of the entire auditorium suddenly rippled like water. The space expanded several times under the effect of magic, and stone pillars rose from the ground, dividing the space into dozens of dueling platforms.

"Slytherin vs. Gryffindor! Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff!"

His voice resounded clearly in every corner, "Form your own teams, get ready now!"

The young wizards became restless as if they had been enchanted.

Harry and Ron immediately huddled together, while Malfoy reached out and grabbed Crabbe and Goyle's robes. Hermione was demonstrating the standard dueling stance to Neville, while Luna had already pulled Astoria to the designated area.

“First lesson,” Sagres said, ascending into the air on invisible steps, his black robes appearing as a flowing shadow in the candlelight.

“Casting spells and dodging are not two separate actions, but rather a rhythm of one breath.” He paced back and forth on the suspended central platform. “I don’t expect you to use any particularly sophisticated magic in the first lesson, but there is one requirement: do your best—aim at the target, cast the spell, and then dodge the attack.”

“But Professor…” a Hufflepuff student raised his hand timidly, “we know far too few spells…”

Looking at the somewhat dazed young wizards, Sagrais said calmly, "I know the Hogwarts curriculum, but I also know that you all have a few tricks up your sleeves—go ahead and use them! Today is the perfect opportunity to test them out."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, if you really can't attack, you should at least learn to dodge as nimbly as a rabbit."

“But… what about the rules of the duel?” Ravenclaw prefect Penelope Crivart raised her hand to ask. “We’re not even very familiar with the formal bowing procedure…”

"Rules? The Duel Club's purpose is to equip you with the ability to handle danger, not to teach you how to perform." He waved his wand, a beam of red light grazing the questioner's ear. "So you must now discard all rules. After all, on the battlefield of life and death, these fancy moves will only get you dead..."

A murmur came from the corner: "But Hogwarts is so safe, why learn all this..."

"Hogwarts might not be as safe as you think!"

Sargeras calmly retorted, and casually released a giant snake formed from magical smoke, which swiftly weaved through the crowd.

The young wizards stirred for a moment, but quickly calmed down, because the giant serpent was just an illusion, without any physical form.

“I spent two years at Durmstrang… In that school, dueling and dark magic were skills that every wizard had to master, so in that respect, you are already far behind.”

As it spoke, the giant magical serpent opened its enormous mouth again, swallowing each student like a gluttonous snake, before finally dissipating into smoke and vanishing into nothingness.

"But it's okay... I'll give you a chance now. You can prove to me that you're not trash."

……

More than thirty teams spontaneously formed on the field, some in small groups, others fighting alone. As soon as Sagres waved his wand to announce the start, the Great Hall erupted in excitement.

The young wizards, like hornets whose swarm had been disturbed, flung spells at each other like they were free, not caring about accuracy at all, just aiming them at the crowd.

"Clean and fresh!" a first-year Hufflepuff screamed, casting a Cleansing Charm. A Ravenclaw girl opposite him was immediately covered in bubbles, and a strange film of soap appeared on her clothes.

"What kind of attack is this?!" someone nearby roared.

"I... this is all I've ever learned!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood back to back, surrounded by several older Gryffindors.

Hermione hesitated at first, but when a "tooth-sized stick" flew past her hair, she completely exploded.

"Retreat the enemy three feet!"

"He collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious!"

"Immediately imprison them!"

"Petrify them all!"

"Grinning widely!"

"Passionate and fiery—"

Her wand danced almost indistinctly, unleashing a barrage of spells at the other side.

But her fierce behavior immediately drew retaliation.

Three curses came at her at the same time. Harry reacted quickly and pulled her away, but Ron wasn't so lucky—his broken wand exploded with a "crack" and a puff of green smoke, the rebounding curses splattering directly onto his face.

"Ugh—" He bent over, and slugs kept gushing out of his mouth.

"Ron!" Hermione cried out, but was forced to roll away the next second as a "Tarantella Dance" exploded where she had just been standing.

……

Sagres had deliberately kept the two sides at a distance to avoid a close-quarters melee.

However, he underestimated the "creativity" of the young wizards—several Slytherins and Gryffindors somehow ended up together, instantly escalating from a spell duel into a physical fight.

"Take this kick!"

"Hey! Why are you pulling my hair?!"

"Let go! Who's choking me?!"

Sagrass's lips twitched, and with a light tap of his wand, several flashes of silver light forcibly separated the students who were wrestling together.

Finally, amidst a chaotic scene of panting, wands askew, and robes disheveled, he waved his hand, halting the duel.

Looking around, he raised an eyebrow—it was better than he had expected.

At least 80% of the students remembered his instructions and moved while casting the spell, instead of standing like wooden stakes as targets.

"Not bad," he said slowly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "At least you didn't blow up the auditorium."

Ron, standing nearby, vomited out another slug.

Sagres waved his wand, and healing spells flew from its tip, curing the students who had been cursed.

Chapter 87 The Hero Lockhart

"Two points will be deducted from each person involved in close-quarters combat!"

Sagras declared expressionlessly, "I'll say it again, wizard duels are not street brawls. If I ever see anyone biting someone again, I'll throw him into the Black Lake!"

“But Professor, didn’t you say we should abandon all rules?” George Weasley said casually, rubbing his torn robe without looking up.

“Five points deducted from Gryffindor!” Sagles remained calm. “For the sake of your selectively listening ears.”

Malfoy, who was rubbing his bruised arm, suddenly burst out laughing. He had just taken advantage of the chaos to kick Potter, but then seemed to have been punched by Crabbe in the confusion, although the other party denied it.

Then Sagres waved his wand, and the Great Hall, which had been shattered by the spell, began to repair itself: the crooked candlesticks straightened, the scorched floor was restored to its original state, and even the shiny slug at Ron's feet disappeared without a trace.

"That's all for today." Sagres glanced at the magic clock in the corner; the hands were almost pointing to curfew. "The prefects will lead the group back to the common room. Anyone who dares to wander off will be locked up for a month!"

Within minutes, the crowd dispersed like the receding tide, leaving the teachers' section completely empty. After some thought, Sagres decided to spend the night in the library.

……

Lockhart stumbled into the office, the door slamming shut behind him.

He staggered to the mirror and was startled by his disheveled appearance—his carefully styled curls were a mess, as if they had been hit by a cannonball, and there were still green traces of the healing potion at the corners of his mouth, the smell of which reminded him of rotten swill.

“This is outrageous! This is outrageous!” He slammed the crystal vase on the table against the fireplace, the glass shards shattering in the flames with a piercing sound. “That wretched bastard Sagres, how dare he—how dare he treat Gilderoy Lockhart like this!”

He paced back and forth in front of the gilded mirror, muttering to himself, his dragon-skin boots leaving deep dents in the Persian carpet.

Suddenly, as if possessed, he opened the notebook again, picked up a quill pen, and scribbled on it:

[I was ambushed at the dueling club today! That filthy old bat Snape attacked me from behind and ruined my fifty Galleons worth of hair potion! And he rolled his eyes at me more than once!]

He paused abruptly. The ink smeared on the paper, forming an ugly black spot, much like his contorted expression.

Snape was indeed very annoying; nobody liked him!

Lockhart nodded heavily, then his face contorted as he began to write:

Not only that, but there was also that despicable Sagres, who actually conspired with Snape against me. Although I fought back with all my might, I was ultimately no match for two opponents and was defeated.

They're jealous of your fame and talent, like fireflies are jealous of the sun! A bunch of despicable people...

Lockhart's fingers trembled:

Yes...you're right! You're absolutely right, they're all jealous of my talent, that's why they're trying so hard to target and humiliate me...

Yes, unfortunately they succeeded...

Lockhart eagerly continued writing:

Should I do something? Otherwise, what will my fans think? With so many students watching today, won't they think Lockhart is just a pretty face...?

You need new achievements to prove yourself, an even greater feat...

Lockhart paused for a moment, but then became agitated:

[A new achievement? What achievement? Writing another book? But I'm at Hogwarts right now, I have no opportunity... no material.]

The handwriting in the diary stretched out gracefully, like a snake flicking its tongue:

[Dear Lockhart, you've forgotten that you're not just a writer. After all, you're a great wizard, and there are many other ways to help you regain your honor...]

Lockhart pondered deeply, but ultimately decided to give up and scribbled in his diary: [Other ways? What ways?]